Blade Runner 2049 (2017) ****/5: Good film but could have been more action packed and gotten to the point quicker. The detective work in the film is first rate

(image courtesy of Empire.com)

I liked Blade Runner 2049 because it does expand the world of Los Angeles in this particular dystopian future. This sequel also stays faithful to the original; some might say a bit too faithful. Blade Runner (1982) is my all time favourite sci-fi film, particularly the Final cut version,  and so my expectations were high for the sequel but not that high because one could immediately tell that the aim was to produce a Blade Runner film for 21^st century audiences. What really surprised me- before I went to watch the film- was the budget of US$150 million. When I went to watch the film I was anticipating that the sequel would be more action packed but it never really caught on which means a lot of people will be let down. It’s not easy to spend that much on a film without some significant action behind it. Were the visuals that expensive? The vision of Blade Runner has already been realized fully by its progeny (Total Recall, The Matrix etc) so 2049 probably needed to go in a new direction in order to really develop beyond the confines of its predecessor.

2049 starts with Ryan Gosling as Agent K on the hunt for replicants. While on a standard mission he makes an important discovery that will fundamentally alter the society of Los Angeles. It’s a discovery that unravels all the important events that transpired following the end of the original Blade Runner. He eventually teams up with the original Blade runner, Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), while also trying to elude the minions of Niander Wallace (Jared Leto).

Positives

The main positive for me was the detective work in this film. The detective work expands the film as Agent K goes in search of answers to this strange finding. You get to encounter a variety of characters and to visit many locations that wasn’t possible in the first Blade Runner that was limited primarily to the city environs. In 2049 we get a good look on the outskirts of the city and the lives of the marginalized or those not fully incorporated into the  city wide matrix. When you watch 2049 you’ll realize that it’s not a surprise that  replicants account for the majority of the marginalized. There are other characters and groups however that also provide some texture but they are not fully realized. They act more or less like typical scavengers. The revelation of life on the outskirts of a very large city does have some impact because of events that transpired between 2019 and 2049. It’s clear that the city has expanded even further and that some of the old structures that now make up the outskirts of the city were probably inhabited in 2019 up until the massive blackout. This blackout seems to have changed things dramatically; made a sharp division between the old and the new. The mystery at the heart of the film is very well developed. In order to arrive at the truth K cannot simply rely on the available information; he has to go beyond and do some old fashioned research in some cases since a lot of the usual details would have been lost after the black out. A lot of blood is shed to arrive at the truth.

The detective work also takes us into the creepy halls of power. This Mr. Wallace must truly represent the high point of capital in Los Angeles just as Tyrell did for the original. It’s a new division between the old and the new but much more sinister much more exploitative because in the case of the new Wallace seems even more powerful and influential than the oldTyrell. His replicant products are more advanced and he’s clearly into synthetics. One thing that will always be striking about the Blade Runner world is this distinction between master and slave which is developed well in 2049. It is the backbone of the entire franchise and I’m expecting a sequel to this film where the contradictions will become full blown in the form of violence. No more subtle reflections. Wallace said something important about civilizations being built on the backs of an unwanted workforce. Not sure but I’ll look out for it the next time I watch it. This is a very important statement from a historical point of view. I understand why the first Blade Runner just mentioned the off world colonies but it’s time that these sequels show us these colonies so we can get a better understanding of the slave like conditions of replicants.

The detective work makes it clear that this sequel uses the black out to make sharp distinctions between the old and the new world. This distinction is good because the world in 2049 has a somewhat different look and yes the rain is still there. The visuals must be where most of the money was spent along with the salaries for the actors. The many locations in this film have a distinctive feel because of their elaborate design. The outskirts are given a lot of attention in this film and in some cases there is a menacing feel when K goes towards these locations especially an area with a high level of radioactivity. The billboards are much more developed in this film especially for a particular pleasure product. I missed the connection with the off-world colonies in this film which were a standout of the original. The new world of 2049 is somewhat the same with noticeable changes but the core is still there. It’s no longer remarkable apart from the push into the outskirts of the city.

Harrison Ford really embraced the role of an older Deckard really well.

Negatives

The primary negative for me is that this film is too faithful to the original in terms of stylistic approaches. The eyeball in the opening scenes, for instance, is so similar to the original but it’s not effective because it has no bearing on what the audience is seeing. Modern audiences who have not seen the original will not have an understanding of the issues because the eyes don’t reveal anything as spectacular as the original. The music is similar as well as the emphasis on the L.A dystopia, particularly the commercial and industrial landscape where the sun never seems to shine. The final scene involving K is faintly reminiscent of the ‘Tears in Rain’ sequence but definitely not as effective. The mood can be oppressive for those not acquainted with the atmosphere. For me the best way to have lightened this atmosphere was to have more action scenes. The detective work is very interesting but it’s not enough because the film is about 2 hrs and 38 minutes if you exclude the credits at the end. More action was needed to get modern audiences fully on board with the Blade Runner universe. As I mentioned before the Blade Runner universe was successfully built upon by its progeny (The Matrix etc) which placed more emphasis on action while still holding on to themes of control and exploitation.  2049 does have action but it’s of the sort you would expect from a Blade Runner: short and unspectacular.  The hallmark of the series is clearly the detective work but it actually could have developed a distinctive style of action to fill in the universe much more.

The length of the film is somewhat problematic because the original Blade Runner was very economical. The length does seem to be overbearing because there is simply not enough to fill in the gaps even with the new L.A landscapes. More action was required and there were hints towards the end that there will be more action in the third film but it might require a director with a different mindset to pull it off. A lot of time is spent on Agent K’s relationship with a holographic female model, Joi,  but it takes away from what Blade Runner should be about especially if the creators wanted to be faithful. Without too much emphasis on the pleasure model then this film would have gotten moving in the necessary direction much quicker.